K&L Gates Center
Encyclopedia
K&L Gates Center is one of the major distinctive and recognizable features of Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
.
K&L Gates Center (long known as One Oliver Plaza and briefly as FreeMarkets Center and later Ariba Center), was completed in 1968. It has 39 floors, and rises 511 feet or 156 meters above Downtown Pittsburgh. The building sits at the intersection of Liberty Avenue, Sixth Avenue and Wood Street. Facing the EQT Plaza
tower across the street, it shares a city block with One PNC Plaza
, Two PNC Plaza
and Three PNC Plaza
; this "superblock" was created by the closing of Oliver Avenue in the late 1960s. Located beneath the building is Wood Street Station
, a subway station that serves as the northernmost access point on Pittsburgh's light rail network
.
In 2007, the international law firm K&L Gates entered in to an agreement to become the largest tenant in the building by 2010. In 2009, extensive construction began on the building lobby, the exterior facade of the first two floors and the plazas surrounding the building. The K&L Gates signage replaced Ariba at the top of the building. K&L Gates also removed a sculpture in the building's lobby in order to maintain a consistent decor. The artwork, a large enamel-on-steel mural by Virgil Cantini
, has been donated to the University of Pittsburgh
by the building's owner.
The lobby was reopened in February, 2010. In March 2010, K&L Gates became the building’s largest tenant, having sponsored both the renaming of the building and a revitalization of the building’s ground-floor lobby, exterior entry facade and adjoining plaza.
Among the building's artwork is a new, illuminated entry portal connecting the building with the street, with five “Light Columns” created by artist Cerith Wyn Evans
illuminating the interior space as well as the outside plaza. These columns are complemented by the neon wall sculpture “Mobius Strip,” also by Wyn Evans, at the entry reception desk. The use of light within architectural environments is a cornerstone of Wyn Evans’s practice, with this site-specific piece having been created exclusively for the K&L Gates Center.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
K&L Gates Center (long known as One Oliver Plaza and briefly as FreeMarkets Center and later Ariba Center), was completed in 1968. It has 39 floors, and rises 511 feet or 156 meters above Downtown Pittsburgh. The building sits at the intersection of Liberty Avenue, Sixth Avenue and Wood Street. Facing the EQT Plaza
EQT Plaza
EQT Plaza, formerly known as the CNG Tower and later the Dominion Tower, is a major and distinctive skyscraper in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The structure was built for Consolidated Natural Gas, a regional energy company. In 1999, CNG was purchased by Dominion Energy, which moved out of the...
tower across the street, it shares a city block with One PNC Plaza
One PNC Plaza
One PNC Plaza is a high-rise office building located in the Golden Triangle neighborhood of the Central Business District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Constructed in 1972, it is 30 stories. It houses the general offices for PNC Financial Services...
, Two PNC Plaza
Two PNC Plaza
Two PNC Plaza is a high-rise office building located in the Golden Triangle of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Constructed in 1976, it is 446 feet in height and has 34 stories, making it the tallest of three buildings in PNC Plaza...
and Three PNC Plaza
Three PNC Plaza
Three PNC Plaza is a tall skyscraper in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was completed in 2009 and has 23 floors. It is the tallest building constructed in the city since EQT Plaza was completed in 1987. It contains of office space, a 185-room Fairmont Hotel, 28 condominium units, and ground level...
; this "superblock" was created by the closing of Oliver Avenue in the late 1960s. Located beneath the building is Wood Street Station
Wood Street (PAT station)
Wood Street is a station on the Port Authority of Allegheny County's light rail network. With the closure of Gateway Center, Wood Street is the northern terminus of the network. Passengers embarking at Wood Street may travel free to any of the other stations in the Downtown area– First Avenue...
, a subway station that serves as the northernmost access point on Pittsburgh's light rail network
Pittsburgh Light Rail
The Pittsburgh Light Rail is a light rail system in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; it functions as a subway in Downtown Pittsburgh and largely as an at-grade light rail service in the suburbs. The system is owned and operated by the Port Authority of Allegheny County...
.
In 2007, the international law firm K&L Gates entered in to an agreement to become the largest tenant in the building by 2010. In 2009, extensive construction began on the building lobby, the exterior facade of the first two floors and the plazas surrounding the building. The K&L Gates signage replaced Ariba at the top of the building. K&L Gates also removed a sculpture in the building's lobby in order to maintain a consistent decor. The artwork, a large enamel-on-steel mural by Virgil Cantini
Virgil Cantini
Virgil David Cantini was an enamelist,sculptor and educator. He was well known for innovation with enamel and steel and received both local and national recognition for his work, including honorary awards, competitive prizes and commissions, along with a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1957...
, has been donated to the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
by the building's owner.
The lobby was reopened in February, 2010. In March 2010, K&L Gates became the building’s largest tenant, having sponsored both the renaming of the building and a revitalization of the building’s ground-floor lobby, exterior entry facade and adjoining plaza.
Among the building's artwork is a new, illuminated entry portal connecting the building with the street, with five “Light Columns” created by artist Cerith Wyn Evans
Cerith Wyn Evans
Cerith Wyn Evans is a Welsh conceptual artist, sculptor and film-maker.After studying at Saint Martin's School of Art and the Royal College of Art Wyn Evans worked as an assistant to Derek Jarman and his early experimental film work in the 1980s often concentrated on dancers including...
illuminating the interior space as well as the outside plaza. These columns are complemented by the neon wall sculpture “Mobius Strip,” also by Wyn Evans, at the entry reception desk. The use of light within architectural environments is a cornerstone of Wyn Evans’s practice, with this site-specific piece having been created exclusively for the K&L Gates Center.